Saturday, February 19, 2011

It’s Cover Time

Someone must have heard me complain about being given only a few days to come up with cover ideas, because this time I actually have ten days advance notice of the looming cover conference for When Maidens Mourn (will I ever get used to that title?). I have a few ideas, most playing off Waterhouse’s Lady of Shalott painting. But the more the merrier, so... Cover suggestions, anyone?

And to get you in the mood, here’s a sneak preview of….

When Maidens MournChapter One

CAMLET MOAT, TRENT PLACE, ENGLAND: SUNDAY, 2 AUGUST 1812

Tessa Cooper hummed a nervous tune beneath her breath as she pushed through the tangled brush and bracken that edged the black waters of the ancient moat. She was very young—just sixteen at her next birthday. And though she tried to tell herself she was brave, she knew she wasn’t. She could feel her heart pounding in her narrow chest and her hands tingled as if she’d been sitting on them. When she’d left the village, the night sky above had been clear and bright with stars. But here, deep in the wood, all was darkness and shadow. From the murky stagnant water beside her rose an eerie mist, thick and clammy.

It should have wafted cool against her cheek. Instead, she felt as if the heavy dampness were stealing her breath, suffocating her with an unnatural heat and a sick dread of the forbidden. She paused to swipe a shaky hand across her sweaty face and heard a rustling in the distance, the soft plop of something hitting the water.

Choking back a whimper, she spun about, ready to run. But this was Lammas, a time sacred to the ancient goddess. They said that at midnight on this night, if a maiden dipped a cloth into the holy well that lay on the northern edge of the isle of Camlet Moat and then tied her offering to a branch of the rag tree that overhung the well, her prayer would be answered. Not only that, but maybe, just maybe, the White Lady herself would appear, to bless the maid and offer her the wisdom and guidance that a motherless girl like Tessa yearned for with all her being.

No one knew exactly who the White Lady was. Father Clark insisted that if the lady existed at all—which he doubted—she could only be the Virgin Mary. But local legend said the White Lady was one of the Grail Maidens of old, a chaste virgin who’d guarded the sacred well since before the time of Arthur and Guinevere and the knights of the Roundtable. And then there were those who whispered that the lady was actually Guinevere, ever young, ever beautiful, ever glorious.

Forcing herself to go on, Tessa clenched her fist around the strip of white cloth she was bringing as an offering. She could see the prow of the small dinghy kept at the moat by Sir Stanley Winthrop, on whose land she trespassed. Its timbers old and cracked, its aged paint worn and faded, it rocked lightly at the water’s edge as if touched by an unseen current.

It was not empty.

Tessa drew up short. A lady lay crumpled against the stern, her hair a dark cascade of curls around a pale, motionless face. She was young yet and slim, her gown an elegant flowing confection of gossamer muslin sashed with peach satin. She had her head tipped back, her neck arched. Her eyes were open but sightless, her skin waxen.

And from a jagged rent high across her pale breast flowed a rivulet of darkness where her life’s blood had long since drained away.

And 10 days advance warning. WOW...generous :) I should confess that my tone was only slightly sarcastic in the previous sentence...because I guess 10 days compared to say 2 days is slightly more advanced. Good luck with the ideas!

I think you picked a winner with J.W. Waterhouse's "Lady..." But in the spirit of offering suggestions: check out "The Charmer" also by Waterhousehttp://tinyurl.com/4sfk8wp(scroll almost to end)I find it interesting because I think her face is full of dread, not desire. But of course, she is charming eel-like fish, so I suppose maybe she is disappointed, or regretful ;-) Her expression might work for the scene you described...

I can think of several of Waterhouse's works that would fit the title, but I think the Lady of Shalott one fits nicely with your Arthurian reference in the excerpt. An image that is too cheerful would detract, in my opinion. Not to be morbid, but a favorite image of mine that came to mind was La Jeune Martyre by Paul Delaroche. It was painted about 30 years earlier than Lady of Shalott, I think. Sorry for not providing a link.

Woo-hoo! Just got my copy of Where Shadows Dance in the mail! I'm suppose to work this weekend but now that's going to be hard with my copy of Where Shadows Dance in my hand. Maybe I'll just read a "few" chapters before I get back to work ;-)

I've been waiting anxiously for this next St.Cyr book - hoping that you'll resolve this pregnancy issue with Hero and not trap Sebastian into this marriage with a women he clearly does not love and to just ignore the beautiful well written feelings you so eliquently described he has for Cat and she for him and you would leave these two apart. I'm heartsick as I love these books and I fear this will be the last one I read if he marries Hero. Why even write of his enduring love for Cat and their yearning and feelings only to abruptly throw him into a situation like this. So disappointing.

YAY FOR TEAM HERO!!! Thank you, Candy, for lots of Sebastian/Hero scenes.

Fantastic book!!! With the exception of two or so scenes that spoil the beauty of this book, namely any scene involving Kat. Why oh why do you keep on writing the same Sebastian/Kat scene for the past three books: he goes to see her at the theater, looking at her with an emo-boy expression. Urgh, soooooooo BORING and they do not contribute at all to the whole story! THose scenes are just waste of pages and could be used for more Sebastian/Hero moments :love:. Kat is no longer relevant to the story arc so just get rid of her already please

Orannia, this is going to be interesting. And thanks for the suggestions--I passed the images on.

Pax Deux, those were interesting. I passed them on, too.

Barbara, that first one is seriously creepy! And the Lawrence painting is a wonderful image for the dress. After the disaster of the blue Victorian gown for Shadows and the corset and petticoat from Heaven, I'm terrified of what I'm going to get. How difficult can it be to get a Regency dress right?

Cezza, I always have this weird disconnect when a book is released because I'm always caught up in the book I'm just finishing writing and have virtually forgotten about the one coming out that I haven't seen for months and months.

Anon, I'm sorry if the direction the books are taking is a disappointment to you. But think about this: if Kat were to marry Sebastian, what would she do? She couldn't continue as an actress. Her career is important to her and she's proud of it, yet she would have to give it up. She would be ostracized by Society, so she couldn't play a traditional role as his wife. Basically, she would sit home all day and embroider chair cushions--not something I can see Kat happy doing. Sebastian's love for Kat is deep and enduring, but it was also the love of his youth. His attraction to Hero is there, and growing. If you keep reading, I don't think you will be disappointed. Or maybe you will be. But I can only be true to the vision I had from the beginning of the series.

Hero anon: I'm sorry if the Sebastian/Kat scenes bore you! But he is still very much in love with her, and she is also an important source of info for him.

I have to agree with Anonymous 1 -I like the character of Kat and am disappointed in the book's change of direction. Sebastian is a different sort of hero that embraces Kat's independence and love of the theater.

Also, what you said about Kat could be said about Hero: What would society say about a woman continuously involving herself in murder investigations and would Hero be happy to just sit at home planning dinners?

>>But he is still very much in love with her, and she is also an important source of info for him.<<

*****

*****

*****

*****

Eh. But that will change in future books of course ^_^ or you'll risk turning Sebastian into a blind and dumb character, still clinging to what he thinks is the 'love of his life', that bland and one-dimensional Kat. You'll make him unworthy of the awesome Hero (the rightful love of his adult and for the rest of his live)! Hero should be his first and important source of information, being Jarvis's daughter. Alriiiight, I can 'tolerate' (:gag:) obligatory Sebastian/Kat scenes in future books, provided only one or two pages are devoted to them and with the purpose of him seeking info only. Please don't turn him into that silly, emo person again! I nearly stopped at book 3. Thankfully, I continued because you gave us readers Hero Jarvis in a co-major role besides Sebastian!

Of course, other than Sebastian/Hero :love:, I enjoy the scenes with Gibson, Lovejoy, Tom (even if he was being silly when he first protested!), Calhoun (you should write more about him!) and Jarvis. I like Hendon but he's getting a bit one-dimensional.

Can't wait for the next Sebastian and Hero mystery! (heh, I like that. MAybe you should re-name this series 'Sebastian and Hero St. Cyr series' ^_^)

Well, I am sure that the Kat/Sebastian romance appeals to the diehard romantic in all of us- where true love conquers all. That being said, these books are not set in 21st century society, but a strictly regimented 19th century world where the rules and mores of class and birth transcend almost all. A marriage between a peer and an actress/mistress simply wasn't acceptable. To pursue such a marriage meant complete ruin. Whereas someone like Hero could be viewed as a "bluestocking" or eccentric, her birth and title were acceptable for her to be married to someone like Sebastian. Although both hooker wife and detective wife both require some suspension of disbelief, the latter requires less so. A character like Hero marrying Sebastian is far morerealistic than Kat marrying him. That being said, I am a bigger fan of Hero than Kat. Kat represents, as Candy put it, the love of his youth, and as many of us know, we do outgrow that. It doesn't make our love any less real or painful as we experience and lose it, but the love that we gain later in life can be so much more substantial and lasting. That is the impression I have of the Hero-Sebastian relationship- it just needs time to grow to maturity.

Hey Candy, I ordered my book from Barnes and Noble the week of 2/21. My purchase confirmation said that it will be shipped 2/21. But I got it on Saturday 2/26. I wasn't expecting it until 3/1, but the surprise was very nice.

The first three books in this series revolved around Kat and Sebastian reuniting and discovering they still loved each other. To me, this meant that it wasn't just a youthful infatuation, but a once in a lifetime love affair. They rediscovered each other as adults and their feelings hadn't changed. Therefore, it's difficult to now be told that it was just a youthful entanglement and they've outgrown each other.

Also, without revealing too many spoilers, we're learning that Kat may have aristocratic lineage, whereas Sebastian's lineage is in flux. If Kat's parentage turns out to be true, then society may have to accept her as more than just an actress.

Finally, it's interesting that there appears to be no middle ground. Readers either like Kat or Hero, but not both. That doesn't look like a situation that is changing with time.

I still remember clearly when nearly a year ago Ms. Harris admitted her surprise at the presence of "Team Hero" vs. "Team Kat" and she "didn't expect to get this sort of heated partisan debate going". Several months after that, she insisted that this "isn't something [she] planned/tried to set up".

Then recently she said "Sebastian's love for Kat is deep and enduring, but it was also the love of his youth. His attraction to Hero is there, and growing."

I doubt Ms. Harris actually understands what her fandom means when they say Team Hero vs. Team Kat. ;) Given your latest three books combined with all these extra-textual "evidence" straight from your mouth, no wonder some of your readers are confused. *sigh*

Adding more to the confusion is Ms Harris's reaction to a review of What Remains of Heaven in 2009, where she found it "a bit bemusing the way the review emphasizes the romance when it's actually a minor subplot"

Harris, C.S. What Remains of Heaven: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery. Obsidian Mysteries: NAL. Nov. 2009.In his fifth outing (after Why Mermaids Sing [sic]), former spy Sebastian St. Cyr is asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury to find who killed the Bishop of London, whose body was found in an ancient crypt along with a decades-old unidentified corpse. Along the way he gets a bit of help from Miss Hero Jarvis, meets Benjamin Franklin's embittered son, and learns more about his origins. VERDICT Harris combines all of the qualities of a solid Regency in the tradition of Georgette Heyer by pairing two strong characters trying to ignore their mutual attraction while solving a crime together. Anyone who likes Amanda Quick and/or is reading the reissued Heyer novels will love this series.

Now, given the two main characters in the above book are Hero and Sebastian -- the former more so than the later -- while Kat has no more than three scenes (scenes that Anon at 8:48 PM shrewdly pointed out similar in templates to the Kat's scenes in the book before that. A theater scene and one at Sebastian's house), one wonder what is so bemusing about the above review when it is actually reflective of the book? Snippets from this review also appear on Ms. Harris website as well as the dust jacket of Where Shadows Dance.

To the anon(s) above me, the answer can be found above:Ms. Harris said "I always have this weird disconnect when a book is released because I'm always caught up in the book I'm just finishing writing and have virtually forgotten about the one coming out that I haven't seen for months and months.>>

This can be a dangerous thing and as a reader, I know I'm alarmed!

Anyone noticed that Hendon was said to be taller than Sebastian in MERMAIDS and then more than nine months later in HEAVEN, Sebastian is even taller than Hendon? In the same book (HEAVEN), Kat's husband is first called Russell Yates and then he's called Yardley? How about that plot mistake in SERPENTS that flew past the revision/editing stage, the baddies in SERPENTS was found to have killed a character, a character that was already dead in an earlier book (got killed by one major character)?

I've been following this series since the first book in 2005, but I just cannot shake off this unpleasant feeling that I'm currently having about this series.

Maybe it's only me, but to me a love story doesn't have to be between two people who are married.

*avoiding flying missiles*

Calm down, please hear me out!

Okay. Reading through all these very, ah, interesting comments, I could not help but be reminded by several couples. Real or fictional. Let's see..

*trying to calm heartbeat*

Before that * Shadows spoilers warning*

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Paul Atreides and Chani, from Frank Herbert's Dune universe (yes, SF!). Harold II and Edith the Fair (these two were real! and there are several historical fiction books about them)...trying to think of some more... oh yes, you can find some more examples of this kind of relationship in Asian Period TV dramas like Yi San (?), Dong Yi.. um, what else..

Yes, yes, I know these men are/were not common men or merely aristocrats but rather kings and emperors. But my point is while each of them loves his own woman, but none of them can make her a queen, because of the time/ culture/society/world they're living in, so they have to take other official consorts! Edith had to give up Harold to England and another Edith (or was it Alditha or Aldgyth of Mercia) after being his common-law wife for twenty years. She had the strength of character for this -- a lesser woman would have done less and would probably had thrown herself over the cliffs of Dover, abandoning her children -- and to face what happened in 1066.

I have to admit I'm fond of the character Kat and she's a major reason why I've been following the series (hi anon before me! I too started in 2005! paid the price of What Angels Fear in full, roughly 18 quid, from a now-defunct London mystery/crime bookshop while being a poor uni student. Got the chance to explore London too to see for myself where the characters could have walked through :D the memories!)

Inasmuch as I would like to see Kat being once again a major character, alas, I think I understand Ms. Harris's situation: Hero Jarvis, excuse me, Hero St. Cyr (or Hero Devlin or however it is we are going to address her) has legions of fans multiplied by infinity. To reduce Hero's role in order to increase Kat's would be suicidal to this series and its sales, so I can understand that Kat can no longer be featured in a major role. I will have to be content with one or two scenes featuring her in future books, if she's still a useful source of info for Devlin. Even if I will have to hold myself from flinching at the potential sameness of the scenes: theatre and its backstage and mirrors and greasepaint and smell of oranges *blinking and gulping*. I.will.have.to.be.content. *sniffing*

But I know one day, I will reach my limits. The cheerful ones always will. But don't worry Ms. Harris, no violence will be involved. :D

Finished "Where Shadows dance" and truly enjoyed (and reread) the end. I think the whole series is very nice although I also saw the editing mistakes. The sneek peek of "Why Maidens Mourn" is a relief as obviously it's not Kat or Hero who's mourning.

I sure hope you bring Kat into the spotlight more and the true love between Sebastian and her proves to come through. When I read the first two books I loved the way their romance didn't overwhelm the plot, yet grasped the reader's heart. I couldn't stand the last book where Here marries Sebastian, their relationship is so unrealisti, while Kat's love for Sebastian is so pure. Hopefully Hero is just a bump in the road or I will have to stop reading the series after "when maidens mourn" is released. The Sebastian/Kat relationship is so interesting and runs so deep, it would be a shame to give that up and give the idea of true everlasting love a slap in the face.

I love the above comment: "The first three books in this series revolved around Kat and Sebastian reuniting and discovering they still loved each other. To me, this meant that it wasn't just a youthful infatuation, but a once in a lifetime love affair. They rediscovered each other as adults and their feelings hadn't changed. Therefore, it's difficult to now be told that it was just a youthful entanglement and they've outgrown each other."

It is extremely true. How on earth could Sebastian and Kat fall out of love after being lovers as both young and mature adults?? I stopped reading the series after I realized the direction that it was going in. If you want to bring back more readers, add more mystery to Kat's story so that Sebastian`s reunion with her won`t bore or enrage the Hero fans.

I've been waiting anxiously for this next St.Cyr book - hoping that you'll resolve this pregnancy issue with Hero and not trap Sebastian into this marriage with a women he clearly does not love and to just ignore the beautiful well written feelings you so eliquently described he has for Cat and she for him and you would leave these two apart. I'm heartsick as I love these books and I fear this will be the last one I read if he marries Hero. Why even write of his enduring love for Cat and their yearning and feelings only to abruptly throw him into a situation like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So disappointing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for the sneak peak! And 10 days advance warning. WOW...generous :) I should confess that my tone was only slightly sarcastic in the previous sentence...because I guess 10 days compared to say 2 days is slightly more advanced. Good luck with the ideas!

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Hey would you mind stating which blog platform you're using? I'm going to start my own blog in the near future but I'm having a hard time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I'm looking for something unique.

About Me

A former university professor with an incurable case of wanderlust, I write the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series under the name of C.S. Harris and thrillers as one half of C.S. Graham. I’ve also written historical romances as Candice Proctor.